Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., filed a 19-page lawsuit Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., alleging Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte abused his authority to make “fanciful” mortgage fraud allegations against him and other critics of President Donald Trump.
The lawsuit asks the court to declare Pulte’s conduct unlawful, order him and the FHFA to withdraw a criminal mortgage fraud referral, and award damages for violations of federal privacy law.
Swalwell — who announced Friday that he is running for governor of California — alleges in the complaint that Pulte improperly accessed and leaked his private mortgage records in retaliation for his political speech, violating both the Privacy Act of 1974 and the First Amendment.
“Director Pulte has combed through private records of political opponents to silence them,” Swalwell posted in a statement on X.
The suit alleges Pulte’s referral of the matter to the Justice Department was “patently false,” noting that Swalwell had sworn in an affidavit that his Washington, D.C., home would be his wife’s primary residence and that he remained a California resident.
